He had his first art lessons at the École nationale des beaux-arts de Lyon with Fleury François Richard.

[2] He taught painting to his son-in-law Auguste de Pinelli [fr], who also became a well-known artist.

[3] He and his family settled at her hometown of Émeringes, where he built a mansion inspired by a castle he had seen in Paris.

[4] After the French Revolution of 1848, his income began to shrink dramatically and he sought paid employment.

He and Lydia moved to Boulogne-sur-Mer in 1852 and sold their properties in Émeringes to help maintain their life style.